Students urged not to give up on their dreams

Scholarship and bursary recipients from the General Employees Co-operative Credit Union (GECCU) have been encouraged to never give up on their dreams.

The institution’s annual scholarship award ceremony was held last Thursday at the Methodist Church Hall, where 11 scholarships and 84 bursaries were awarded to students who performed well at the Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA).{{more}}

In a motivational speech, GECCU scholar of 2006 Taj Lee told the recipients that the time to begin building their dreams and working towards achieving them is now.

“The road to success is a journey and it is filled with hardships. In the process of working on your dreams, you are going to have a lot of disappointments, doubt and pain. You are going to stumble,” Lee said.

“When you experience those hardships, don’t give up on your dreams. Those hard times will pass because they are not here to stay. Don’t give up when things seem difficult because if you quit now, then you will never make it.”

The GECCU employee noted that persons often give up on their dreams because of their fear of failure or success. However, he urged persons to be risk takers and do whatever is necessary to achieve their dreams.

In brief remarks, president of GECCU Kelvin Pompey extended congratulations to the awardees on their achievement and noted that the credit union is dedicated to the cause of developing the minds of their members.

“At GECCU, we believe strongly that investing in the education of our children is an investment in the future of GECCU and our country,” he said.

Pompey also indicated that scholarships are given to students for a seven-year period.

“You work hard, you get into A-levels, and your scholarship goes with you. The scholarship you are receiving should not be seen as free. Indeed, there is no such thing as a free education. GECCU members have sacrificed in order for you to receive these awards. I encourage you therefore to study hard, give of your best and make your family, your school and your credit union proud,” the president said.

Ministry of Education representative Jemilia Pope commended the financial institution for their scholarship programme, noting that it has produced stable and responsible citizens over the years.

Like Lee, she also encouraged recipients to be focused and follow their dreams.

“The Ministry of Education is committed to supporting our nation’s children, but we recognize that our greatest strength lies not only within our educators, but also in our dedicated parents, guardians and partners like GECCU. They help to ensure that students remain competitive through accessibility to quality education,” Pope said.

Joshua Marks, who came fourth for boys and sixth overall in the CPEA, delivered a response on behalf of the 2014 scholars.

The other scholarship recipients are Oslya Ollivierre, Tiyana Roberts, Nailah Samuel, Angelica McDonald, Royann Williams, Hosea Nichols, D’Angelo Dick, Tyler Melville, Kayla Willams and Orian Adonis.

Between 1981 and 2014, GECCU has awarded 219 scholarships, each at a value of $10,600 over a seven-year period.(BK)